BREAST AUGMENTATION SURGERY

Work, Sex & Exercise After Breast Augmentation Surgery

Modern breast augmentation surgery techniques have reduced the recovery time in recent years. However, breast enhancement is still a surgical procedure that requires a healing period with some restriction on activities.

Top Southfield, MI area board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali has helped thousands of women achieve the look and feel they have always wanted with breast augmentation surgery. In this article we discuss typical restrictions during recovery after the breast augmentation process – and give some general guidelines about when you can resume your normal activities.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines and typical recovery situations. Your situation may vary and you should always follow the exact instructions given to you by your breast augmentation surgeon, after your surgery.

Driving After Breast Augmentation Surgery

The timeline for when patients can resume driving after breast augmentation surgery depends on the patient’s individual overall recovery process. In most cases, patients can generally expect to be back behind the wheel within two weeks or less after their procedure.

During your first postoperative checkup, typically scheduled within the initial week after breast augmentation surgery, Dr. Ali will assess your progress. During this appointment, he evaluates incisions, monitors healing, and provides guidance on the next stages of recovery. If there are no complications and you are no longer reliant on prescription pain medication, he may provide clearance to resume driving – or he may advise you to wait another week.

His recommendation on when you can operate a vehicle will be influenced by individual factors such as pain levels, range of motion, incision healing, and overall physical comfort. It’s advisable to start with short trips and gradually increase driving durations as confidence and physical comfort improve.

Additionally, if the breast augmentation involved submuscular placement of implants – where implants are positioned beneath the chest muscle – patients may experience longer restrictions in arm mobility.

Exercise & Activity after Breast Augmentation Surgery

The usual advice is to wait at least two weeks after breast enhancement surgery to start mild exercising. You may “feel fine” but internally your body will not be completely healed at this stage. Overdoing activity can seriously set back your recovery.

You should not lift any heavy objects, bend over, or take part in more vigorous activities for at least three weeks after breast augmentation surgery. Try to aware of what you are doing during common household tasks. Even lifting gallon jug of milk, or pulling open a heavy door, can cause strain.

You should be fully healed before you start jogging, doing aerobics, jumping rope, playing basketball, horseback riding, or engaging in other activities that subject your breasts to a lot of up-and-down movements.

Jumping can stretch your skin, ligaments, and connective tissue, causing sagging. When you do resume strenuous activity, always be sure to wear a good support bra.

Always talk to your surgeon about when you can resume exercising after breast augmentation surgery, as your individual instructions may vary.

Returning to Work after Breast Augmentation Surgery

How soon you can go back to work after breast augmentation surgery depends upon a number of factors including your job, your incision type, your implant placement, and how fast you heal.

Typically you should plan to take about five days off after your breast augmentation surgery to heal properly. If your job is physically demanding, you may need to take more time. Additionally, women who also have a breast lift at the time of the augmentation surgery will generally need more recovery time.

Dr. Ali will discuss your individual situation with you, and help you decide how much recovery time is best for you.

Sun & Tanning after Breast Augmentation Surgery

Exposure to harmful UV rays is not good for any part of your body – and is especially dangerous for your breasts after breast augmentation surgery. Sun exposure or tanning too early after your breast augmentation surgery increases the risk of “hyperpigmentation” in which patches of skin on the breast become darker than the surrounding skin.

Scars take about a full year to mature, so keep your incisions completely out of direct sunlight for at least twelve months after surgery. Sunblock is typically not sufficient in the first year, and scars should be covered with some kind of tape if you are wearing clothing or bathing suits that expose them.

After a year, be very diligent and continue to apply sunscreen containing zinc-oxide to your scars so that they do not darken due to increased pigmentation.

Sex after Breast Augmentation Surgery

You should not engage in any activities that can raise your heart rate or cause excessive movement in your breasts for a week or two after your breast augmentation surgery – and this includes sex. If you also had a breast lift, this recovery time may be longer.

Also, keep in mind that the antibiotics that you are taking after your breast augmentation surgery to prevent infection may interfere with your birth control pills.

Dr. Ali will discuss your individual situation with you, and help you decide how much recovery time is best for you before you can resume intimacy with your partner.

Top Southfield Area Breast Augmentation Surgeon

The best way to understand what to expect after breast augmentation surgery is to schedule a consultation with a top breast augmentation surgeon like Dr. Ali. He has helped hundreds of women in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Southfield, MI – and across Oakland County and the Detroit area – get the body they’ve always wanted. If you are considering breast augmentation surgery, he will be happy to offer you a consultation to answer all of your questions.

Feel beautiful inside and out, with breast augmentation surgery. And remember, financing options are also available.